The Triste's Apprentice
by Rianne1
Summary: OC post-MP. My first fic, so please R/R. Teri Mere is a normal girl who happens to be able to read minds. Then she meets Alexander Burke, the English teacher who's also the Triste brother of the vampiress Risika. Now she knows what she is and must come to
1. First Meeting

SUMMARY: OC post-Midnight Predator. My first fic, so please R/R. Teri Mere is a normal girl who just happens to be able to read minds. Then she meets Alexander Burke, the English teacher who is in fact the Triste brother of the vampiress Risika. Now that she knows what she is Teri must come to terms with both her duty as a huntress and immortality.  
  
DISCLAIMER: The only characters here that I own are Teri Mere, James (who I am developing a strong dislike for), and Gavin Karras (who I think I might end up hating later on). The rest belong to Amelia Atwater-Rhodes and her publisher. If I forgot anybody, I would request that you not sue me, as it would be pointless.  
  
A/N: Greetings and salutations. This is my first fanfic, so rather than asking you to be kind, I am asking any reviewers to point out each and every thing they think is wrong with it. I only ask that you not point out spelling mistakes. I know it's a bit slow right now, but there's a lot of intro stuff I wanted to get out of the way. Cheers.  
  
Nobody believed Teri when, at twelve years of age, she began to hear voices. At first she was afraid. Normal people did not walk around with a constant chatter in their heads. She would become distracted by the things they would say, and her teachers were quick to notice. More than once, she would have letters sent home complaining that she was inattentive or disobedient. She couldn't help it, the voices were fascinating. The fear was fading away, and she was beginning to feel instead a sense of great power. It made her giddy just thinking about it.  
  
Sometimes Teri would recognize a voice as being that of a specific person she knew, usually when they were near her. It began to occur to her that the voices were thoughts, and she started paying attention. She tried isolating them, reaching out when they got faint. After a few years, she could move easily through other people's minds, learning about their dreams and nightmares. At times she was hard pressed to keep from looking into her teachers' thoughts during exams. Socially, she was never very much of a talker. She had a few close friends, but that was it. Everybody else was merely an acquaintance. She became an observer, trying to blend in not so much with the crowd as with the background.  
  
(__________________________________________________________________________(  
Middle school came and went with little event. One day, a month before the start of ninth grade, she met up with Ria and Jeremy, her closest friends. Ria was a few days older than her and had a figure most of the boys in her class were. highly appreciative of. Those thoughts were, unfortunately for Teri, so strong that they were often hard to block. Her charm, when coupled with Teri's innate intelligence, allowed them to get away with almost anything. Not that there would be anything to get away with without Jeremy. Jem, as Teri and Ria would affectionately call him, was a sweet guy. Until you got to know him. He looked like an angel, but instead of a bright halo he had crimson horns growing out of his head. The mastermind behind more pranks than they could remember, he would plant the seed, Teri and Ria would figure out how to make it grow, and then they would step back as the plan took effect. That was all about to change, though. They lived in New York City, and after a crazy application process had found that they would all be going to different high schools next year. The tension was palpable.  
  
They were going for a walk through Hudson River park, chatting, reminiscing, the three of them knowing all too well that they were nearing the end. It was sad, and Teri was for once in her life feeling her ability to hear people's thoughts was a burden. Regret and loss were some of the stronger emotions, and though she usually tried to respect her friends' privacy, there were some thoughts which she could not keep from her own head. Ria wasn't having an easy time of it, but it was nothing compared to Jem. His voice was screaming inside her head. *Why am I so uptight? Why am I so worried? What's the worst that could happen? They kill me? One of them kills me? What the HELL should I tell them? I should NOT have to deal with this. Man oh man, somebody HELP ME!*  
  
With that thought fresh in her mind, Teri watched as her friend turned to face them. She could feel the apprehension bubbling inside of him. "Okay, I know we promised to tell each other everything. Well there's been something on my mind lately, and I haven't been able to get away from it. I really love you guys, but I, well." He trailed off, and for the first time since she had met him Teri willingly delved into Jem's head. She saw what he was about to do, and knew in an instant that the house which they had built, a house that had recently begun to be gutted, was going to crumble with his words. And she was powerless to do anything about it.  
  
"You have no idea how hard it is for me to say this. I didn't want to tell you this sooner, because of what the three of us had," his use of the past tense was a sharp blow. "The Powers That Be have decided that we're going to move this summer. Dad got an offer he couldn't refuse somewhere in Connecticut, and he just sprung it on us a few days ago." Teri knew he was lying. He had known for weeks, but hadn't had the courage to tell them. It was painful to contemplate.  
  
Ria was aghast. Her mind was swimming. Too many thoughts were overlapping, pulsing through her. Teri was momentarily incapacitated by the sudden barrage of emotion, and barely had time to grasp the brief *Well, looks like it's now or never.* With that, Ria stepped over to Jem and pulled his mouth down to hers. Jem didn't pull away. It was irrational and stupid, especially to the person who was currently backing away from the pair, looking on in utter disbelief. She stood back and watched them devour each other, wishing herself away from the place. After hesitating a moment, she turned and walked away from them. When first Jem and then Ria called her that night, she did not answer the phone. The triumvirate had crumbled. She was alone.  
  
(__________________________________________________________________________(  
It was in this state of mind that Teri's freshman year of high school began. She had never been one for conversation, but the bubbly Ria and devious Jem had always been able to bring her out of her shell. She had avoided her friends and half friends for the rest of the summer, worrying her parents to no end. The rest of the summer had passed with her online, in the library, or wandering around the Lower East Side. She would sit on a bench in Union Square, thinking about what she would do and lashing out at those unfortunate fools who crossed her path with a mental barrage.  
  
After an eternity of waiting, the new school year began. Her school was supposed to be one of the best in the nation, a gathering of brightest of the City's youth. She couldn't have cared less. And the homeroom teacher for 1F didn't appear to care either.  
  
"Listen up, you miserable wretches. This is going to be your homeroom for the next four years, so I suggest you get used to it. I'm Mr. Hardy, and it will do you well to remember that. Are there any questions?" He gave them a look which told them quite plainly that there would be serious consequences if anybody took him up on the offer. The assembled students looked on in horror as their homeroom teacher paced in front of them. Teri tried to hide a smirk. She failed, and an icy glare was sent her way. "Would you be so kind as to tell your fellow students what you find so amusing, Miss.?"  
  
*Damn, the first day and I'm already antagonizing the authority figures.* If her first day as a freshman continued on this vein, she didn't want to imagine what the rest of the year would have in store.  
  
"Teri Mere, sir."  
  
There were a few chuckles at the title, and the tone in which it was used. None of them came from the middle-aged man before them, who was slowly going purple. *Damn but this guy has a temper.* "I don't suppose you would mind letting us in on the joke then, Miss Mere?" Not only was his voice venomous, he was thinking about taping her I.D. card picture to a dart board. Briefly Teri wondered why this child hater had ever become a teacher. Speculating as to what any further insubordination on her part would do, she decided to find out. Two months ago she never would have done this. At the moment she was having trouble keeping back a particularly evil grin.  
  
"There's really no need to shout sir, I can hear you perfectly well. As for the joke, I doubt you would be pleased to hear it." Reaching into the surrounding minds, she found that most were either appreciative of her one man revolt or scared senseless. She made a note of those who were agreeing, they would be good allies, and quite possibly friends. But the mind, she had often found, tried to hide itself behind a veneer so intricate that it could rarely be broken through.  
  
"Well then, it would do you well to keep any smart ass remarks to yourself while you are in this room. Otherwise, it will go on your permanent record." He seemed to think this was some sort of big, threatening punishment. *There, that'll shut her up,* came through to her. She kept her face impassive. "Okey-doke, thanks for the warning." It made her sound much perkier than she really was, but she didn't mind, that was the idea after all.  
  
Things settled down after that. She walked around, making with the small talk. One person grabbed her attention, though. The instant she saw James, she was awash with fear. He was a senior, a sort of mentor to the poor, pitiful freshmen around him. His hair and eyes were jet black, his skin was deathly pale, he was one of the most beautiful people she had ever seen, and he had what could only be described as an aura. It was not strong, but nevertheless it was there, and it was dark and malevolent. She looked around. The other students didn't have that energy pulsing from them. Was this guy not human? She wondered briefly if he was a vampire, his facial features bringing the demonic race to mind, but shook the thought off. They didn't exist. Overcoming the desire to vomit which she was beginning to fell as she moved closer, she went over to him. There was power in him, more than in any human she had encountered. *Maybe he isn't?* The thought once again came unbidden to her mind as she approached the boy who was currently talking to a fellow senior.  
  
"Excuse me, James is it?" She tapped him on the shoulder, and he jumped as though slapped. He turned to get a good look at the person behind him, and almost froze. Teri tried to get into his head, tried to sense his true reaction, but it was like running at a lead wall. Interesting, she would have to look into it later.  
  
"Yes, and you'd be Teri?" She nodded mutely as she felt, for the first time in her life, another trying to enter her own head. It felt oddly pleasant, perhaps that was why gaining access to another's thoughts was so easy if you did it properly. *No time to think about that just now,* she thought to herself as she threw up something of a mental firewall. A slightly disappointed frown briefly crossed his face, but he did not give any other signs that she had deflected his attempts to gain entry to her mind. The whole exchange took maybe a few seconds.  
  
"I was wondering, seeing as you're supposed to be guiding us through the wonderful institution known as high school." A snort escaped him, and Teri smiled, *good, he's letting down his guard.* "Is there anybody else you could tell me about who acts like Mr. Cranky-pants over there." She jerked her head in the general direction of Mr. Hardy, who was looking through some random papers with an evil glint in his eye. "I want to know about 'em before I start annoying the hell out of them, what with my natural charms an all." She flashed what was, she hoped, a disarming smile at James. He didn't take the bait, but answered her question anyway.  
  
"Well, there's Burke, he's teaching a few sections of freshman English this year. And then there's Chang, bio teacher. And be on the lookout for Karras, he's as close to evil as they come." A faint smile played about his lips at the last statement, but Teri hardly noticed. She was peeved that he wasn't helping her out, not that she should have expected him to. Whatever he saw in her, he didn't want it too close. She sat in a corner of the room after that, watching the others. She needed to think, and it wouldn't help if she was trying to think up pleasantries about boys, the weather, or some other idiotic topic for idle conversation.  
  
Mr. Hardy passed out their schedules, and Teri almost cried out with joy. Two free periods in the morning, ah, yes, life was very sweet. For now, she made her way to the library to wait out the first two periods. As she stepped through the doors, she gazed joyfully at the long rows of shelves. *Teri, meet library, library, meet Teri.* She frantically wiped away the idiotic grin which was threatening to overcome her otherwise passive expression. This would become her haunt, and she quickly made her way toward the stacks. Not that she ever got to them.  
  
*Hello Teri it's nice to see that you're studious, but could I cut in?*  
  
That was it. As she realized that without knowing it, somebody had managed to place a thought in her brain, Teri put aside all her previous assumptions about the people of this school. Somebody else was able to manipulate the minds of others around them, it was no fluke.  
  
*I'm near the philosophy section, come and find me.*  
  
Fear began to take hold. Did she run? Did she go to the meeting spot? Did she calmly return to her original plan of burying herself in the volumes until third period? With a resolve she hadn't known she possessed until then, she walked over to the shelves by the left wall. There was a young man there, probably just out of teachers college. He wasn't as droolworthy as James, but he was still quite attractive. And he had an aura.  
  
"Have you ever heard of Ash Night, Teri?"  
  
"Excuse me, Mr.." She was stuttering for the first time in years. If James had seemed powerful, this man must be omnipotent or something. His aura was huge, and it crackled around him as though it had a life of its own. Yet unlike James' this was serene, not malevolent.  
  
"That would be Mr. Burke to you young lady, but when none of my colleagues are around, I just might permit you to call me Alex." He smiled at her, and she was once again at a loss for words. "Would it help if I used less demanding channels while you remain in a state of near catatonia?" *Or must I wait through series of monosyllabic responses before you recover?* His switch to telepathic conversation brought her out of her momentary paralysis, and she shook her head.  
  
"Alright then. Now would you please answer the question?"  
  
"One of my friends read Tiger, Tiger a few years ago, but no I've never read anything by her, or is it him?"  
  
"It would be her. Seeing as you have yet to become immersed in that world, I suggest you do it shortly." With that, he threw a small paperback volume at Teri, who caught it and glanced at the cover. It was Tiger, Tiger. "Come back here after tenth when you finish." Mr. Burke turned and walked out of the stacks, leaving a slightly flabbergasted freshman in his wake. She looked down at the book and abandoning any plans she might have had for the next forty-five minutes, sat down to read.  
  
(__________________________________________________________________________(  
"Miss. Mere, If you do not put that book away NOW I will be forced to take it from you myself." Teri grumbled irritably. Alex, or rather Mr. Burke, was not looking pleased. He had not made a single remark to her which would lead another to believe that they had met previously throughout the class, and now he was telling her to put her book away, the book he had given to her.  
  
It was engossing, not only because of the characters thhemselves but because they seemed so real. Not that they could be. This was about vampires, and willing as she might be to believe in telepathy, there were some things which were a little too out of the ordinary for her. She cursed Mr. Burke for making her drop it at that moment, she had been on the last chapter. Risika was about to meet up with her brother Alexander again after over two hundred years. Sighing, she put the book back in her bag and returned to th biographical fiction piece the teacher had them writing. Ten minutes later, the bell rang and she headed for the door.  
  
*Who do you have next?* The question from Alex was unexpected.  
  
*Karras, why?*  
  
*Don't let your guard down for a second.* Yeri was shocked; he sounded as close to paniced as she thought him capable. *DO YOU UNDERSTAND?*  
  
*Jeez, alright already, no need to shout.* His last frantic statement had given her a slight headache.  
  
*I'm serious. You'll see what I mean when you get to the room.*  
  
Teri laughed the last comment off, wndering what had him so terrified for her. She knew when she walked in the room.  
  
Mr. Karras had a tinge of an aura, but he was still human. Instead of poower, the aura made him seem tainted, uncouth. The instant she had walked in, she had felt his eyes on her, and sensed something slimy trying to crawl in a back door to her head. Immediately the firewalls went up, and they did not go down until she was well away from the room. The experience had unnerved her, and she happily delved into the book once again.  
  
When Teri got to the description of Alexander she had to stop and shake herself. There was no way that he could be Mr. Burke. Or was there? She needed to find out, so when she finished the book she headed to the library once again.  
  
*I suppose you've figured out what I am by now?*  
  
The words rendered her speechless, and she turned to face the grave man who had snuck up behind her. Realization hit her like a tidal wave.  
  
"You. you're a Triste, a-aren't you. Y-you're Risika's brother. Oh my God." She leaned against the bookshelf, trying to make sense of the jumble in her head. "It's real, isn't it." It was not so much a question as a statement. "There really are vampires, and witches, and. oh God. Why the hell did you have to tell me this?"  
  
"Because all Tristes are obligated to do so when they meet another one of their kind who has yet to learn the true meaning of their abilities." He said this without so much as batting an eye.  
  
Teri felt faint, but steeled herself against the blackness that was threatening to swallow her. Struggling to keep her voice even, she managed to spit out the words "Tel me everything." Alexander did not object. (__________________________________________________________________________(  
  
A/N: Okay, now that you've read it, I would like some reviews. If you don't like it, just say so. If you do, the information is likewise welcome. But please review, all the same. Also, any questions are welcome. Cheers! 


	2. Alexander

SUMMARY: Flashback to when Alexander meets his mentor, and some other goodies besides. Enjoy, and as always please review. Cheers.  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anybody here except Teri, Gavin Karras (brownie points to the reviewer who knows where I got that surname ;-), and James Rice (yes, I decided that would be his last name.). The others belong to Amelia Atwater-Rhodes and her publishers. I just toy around with them.  
Alexander walked the streets of New York, thinking about the girl called Teri Mere. She had not become completely speechless, as he had at first expected she would be. There had been too many emotions running through her, so he was not able to gauge her exact reaction. But there was fear there, laced with a little hopelessness and heightened with uncertainty. There had also been a small surge of pride, but it was so tiny as to be almost unnoticeable and was quickly shot down by the all powerful fear. She had asked him to tell her everything, and as he walked her home he had told her all he knew of vampires; the revelations about herself as a witch would have to be put off until she had at least a single night to contemplate her identity without the extra knowledge he would have to impart. It was more important that a girl with no physical training learn about her enemies first. Her friends would have to come later.  
  
As they had walked on, the din of the traffic had acted as a background to the drama which Alexander was slowly unfolding before the silent girl. He told her of the immortal Siete and the seven vampiric lines which carried on his legacy of death, mentioning some of the more notable members of each line as he went along. He told her of the two vampiric establishments most feared by those who did not call them home, New Mayhem and Midnight. He briefly explained the human slave trade and had felt her tense, although from what he did not know. He made a mental note to ask her about it later.  
  
Alexander could not help feeling some measure of regret for the girl. She had been drawn into a world of blood and death at the tender age of fourteen, a world where she would need to learn to fight if she wanted to live. A bit of himself tried to rationalize; after all, didn't the Vidas and Aruns learn to fight at eight, learning to kill by the time they reached Teri's age? He shook the thought from his head. Those witches had been brought up knowing that there were demons who walked the earth in human form, unlike Teri. The girl, until a few hours ago not knowing the origins of her mental abilities, was currently attending school with one of the weaker fledglings of Kendra and a human blood-bonded to Aubrey. No doubt the message that a very young Triste girl with a considerable amount of power was currently attending high school had been relayed the moment James and Gavin had seen Teri. By now, with the sun down on a far from peaceful city, he was sure that the message had been sent up the chain of command. By now, the information was probably known to all but the most insignificant of vampires.  
  
Teri was unremarkable to the casual observer due to her plain features, a trait which would work to her advantage. But he would need to teach her how to disguise her aura. It was strange, he had never seen an aura so strong in one so young. She must have been training her mental abilities from early on, practicing on the people around her. He allowed himself to chuckle when he thought of the confusion and discomfort she must have caused her initial hapless victims.  
  
As he thought about how he would manage to teach the girl all she would need to know, his thoughts wandered back over two hundred years, to the day when he had wandered into the forest by his father's house, searching for answers to a question still not clear in his mind.  
  
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)  
  
*If anybody out there can tell me what's happening to me, please help me.* Alexander wandered through the forest, tripping over tree roots, oblivious to the brambles catching at his face. The snow was getting heavier and he could see his breath in front of his eyes, but he did not care about the freezing cold. There was too much on his mind for him to notice, and he continued to meander between the trees. His mind was writhing, and his thoughts were all centered around a single, mind numbing idea. *I nearly killed my sister. I thought I could control it. If I just left it alone and didn't think about using it, nothing would happen and I could continue to live as a normal farmer, living off the land. It was all a dream, a foolish dream.*  
  
The fire had been burning steadily lower all day, and a chill was beginning to enter the house. Alexander was sitting at the table, working at carving a design into a piece of wood. His sisters had been preparing supper; Lynette was stirring the pot hanging over the flames, and Rachael had just gone into the cellar for some herbs. He had noticed that the fire was not as warm as it should be, and thought it should be a bit larger, especially for cooking.  
  
Then came the screams.  
  
The fire had - there was no other word for it - jumped from the hearth. While Lynette had been standing over it. Rachael ran to her side, dragging the hysterical girl away from the flames and pouring the bath water over her. Alexander had tried to move, to rush to Lynette's side and comfort her. But he was unable to step forward, only to watch in morbid fascination as Rachael fought the flames which were threatening to overtake the house.  
  
She had pleaded with him to talk to the minister, but he had shaken off the thought. He was damned, a witch who could use his powers to kill. When father had brought Lynette back from the doctor, he had fussed over her like a worried hen. But when all had been asleep, he slipped out of bed, put on his boots and cloak, grabbed a lantern, and escaped into the night.  
  
And now he was here, alone, his back against the trunk of a skeletal tree and all hope gone from his heart.  
  
"I believe you called for somebody, young man?" Came a high, reedy voice from behind him.  
  
Alexander whirled around to see a middle aged woman wearing full skirts and a worn looking fur lined cloak. "What. how. who are you?"  
  
The woman shook a finger at him. "Ah, you would like answers, would you not? P'raps I shall give you them." Her lips curved into an unnerving smile. "But only if you ask them of me properly." She leaned against a tree and waited expectantly.  
  
"Pardon me, ma'am. But I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Oh really," she had a strange twinkle in her eyes. "Shall I give you a hint?"  
  
"Yes, please." Alexander was nervous. He didn't like the way this woman was looking at him, half amused, half disappointed.  
  
*Like this.*  
  
Alexander nearly jumped out of his skin. He had been prepared for anything, not that. *What are you?* He was alarmed. Was this a demon come to torment him, to initiate him into some profane religion of Satan? Did he really want to know?  
  
*A witch much like yourself. But you knew that already, didn't you my dear.* She smiled and Alexander was dimly aware of a desire to run far away. But he found that his legs would not obey him. *Come here, child.* His legs walked him toward the strange woman, propelled by a force other than his own will. *Take my hand.* He complied, and suddenly he was in a different place entirely.  
  
"Do not make a sound," she whispered. "You would do well not to let them hear you." She crept through the trees, motioning for Alexander to follow her. "Watch." They were at the edge of a town which seemed to be crawling with people. All of them had eyes black as pitch. And they all had an air of malevolence that seemed almost physical. As he looked on, somebody went flying out the door of one of the buildings close to him, his blond hair in disarray. Another person ran down the steps to the man lying helpless on the ground. The distance the blond man had been thrown and the force with which he had hit the ground must have broken several bones, but Alexander had to stifle a gasp as the man got up again and pounced on the person who was coming up fast behind him. The two sparred for a bit, and the blond man went down once again. The person who had him pinned down punched the blond man in the face before looking him squarely in the eyes.  
  
"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you now, and I just might let you go." The voice was like honey, and to Alexander's infinite shock, it was the voice of a woman. Now that she was still, he could see her elegant, slightly curved features. There was no way she could have been strong enough to do what he had just seen her do.  
  
"Because I would give you my blood," came the impassioned plea from the now helpless man. Alexander wondered briefly what the man meant. He didn't have to wait long for an answer.  
  
"Hmm. A tempting offer. Very well, I accept." The woman sprouted fangs and bit into the helpless man's neck. Alexander felt the world fade to black. (===================================================================)  
  
"You really must get used to that, you know," came a distant voice.  
  
Alexander's eyes snapped open to see the woman who had brought him to that place of demons. He was sure that was what they were, what else could they be? He stood up, briefly noticing that they were on the edge of the forest outside his home. The sun still had yet to rise, and the stars shone merrily overhead. The snow was as milk under the shimmering moon.  
  
"You are wondering what that was, are you not?"  
  
"Were those," he paused, afraid to speak the word, "demons?"  
  
"Very good." She looked pleased. "They are indeed. They are called vampires, and they suck the blood from the living to survive." Alexander shivered, an involuntary spasm which had nothing to do with the cold winter air. "They are not alive; their hearts do not beat within their breasts, their blood stagnates in their veins. They heal with incredible speed, the weakest among them has the strength of ten men, and they are immortal." Alexander's jaw dropped at the last statement. "You do not believe me? My sweet child, did you not see them? Was there a single one who looked to be over thirty years of age?" Alexander shook his head. "Besides, you will have an eternity to observe them for yourself.  
  
"I must leave you now, Alexander. Call for me a week from tonight when you are quite alone. My name is Desdra. Good night." With that, the woman Desdra vanished, leaving Alexander to contemplate her last words in silent fear.  
  
"You will have an eternity to observe them for yourself."  
  
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)  
  
Alexander pulled himself from his reverie. He could sense somebody vampiric nearby, somebody painfully familiar.  
  
"Hello Rachael."  
  
He turned to face his twin, taking in her striped hair. She had not changed it since the last time they had met. Her eyes betrayed no emotion at the mention of her old, human name. Two hundred years had turned his sister, once so innocent, into a hardened killer. Whatever emotion she felt, it was buried deep in a place where nobody could find it, not even the brother who had been closer to her than anybody. She was thoroughly businesslike.  
  
"So, Alex. I hear you have found yourself a student." A hint of a mirthless smile played about her lips.  
  
"And that would be any concern of yours because?" She might be Rachael somewhere deep inside, but for all intensive purposes she was still the vampiress Risika, and she had a reputation in the vampiric world after only two centuries. That in and of itself was a reason to fear her. "Tristes, as you are no doubt aware, are not the most loved creatures among my kind. There are those who would wish her harm, more so because she is being trained by Risika's brother. You are not with some amount of renown in vampiric society, and you have enemies who would love to get to you through the wonderful opportunity which the girl presents to them. Guard her carefully, Alex. Our kinds may not see eye to eye, but that doesn't mean that I wish to see my brother hurt."  
  
"My thanks, Rachael." He still refused to call her by her new name. It was predatory, and he knew that he would never be able to think of her in that way.  
  
"Happy hunting, Alex." She smiled, and blinked out. She had probably gone to New Mayhem, the home base of Silver's line. No doubt Aubrey, as well as a few others, would be wondering what new information she had brought to light.  
  
Her parting comment had almost made him laugh out loud. Fancy a vampire telling a hunter to go about his duties. Alexander was not the most skilled with a blade, he would gladly leave that title to Dominique Vida. Yet his mental control and the grasp of the abilities which that facilitated made him a menacing enough foe that only a few dared to seek him out.  
  
Alexander opened the door to his apartment building and walked upstairs. He did not hunt as much as he should during the height of the school year, there were too many papers to grade. When he entered the modest one bedroom that was his home, he dropped the bag he had been carrying and went over to the closet. He changed into a more serviceable shirt and pair of pants and put on a leather jacket which had become soft with use. Before exiting, he removed the silver knife from its hiding place above the doorframe and slipped it into a sheath at his hip.  
  
(===================================================================)  
  
Meanwhile, Teri was scanning the book Tiger, Tiger, looking for any information on Triste witches. She had already gathered that they could manipulate fire, and that their blood was poisonous to any vampire who drank it. But that was it, unless.  
  
Teri felt weak, and a few barely cohesive thoughts flashed quickly through her mind before a blessed unconsciousness overtook her.  
  
*He's still alive after two hundred years.*  
  
*I'm like he is.*  
  
*I wont die.*  
  
(===================================================================)  
  
A/N: Ok, I know what you're thinking. "What the hell? You made Risika sound like she had a stick up her rectum!" Well I'm sorry, but she really has pushed her emotions down pretty far, and.and.and I think I'm trying to rationalize it to myself. Very bad. Oh, and before I foget, thank-yous must be given to the following people who flattered me into a sort of giddy, bouncing off the walls type elation: Shattered Destiny, Krikoris, and Aya. 


	3. Life and Death

SUMMARY: Resentment, depression, and lots of nice happy stuff coming the resident witches. Plus other stuff.  
  
DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own anybody except Teri, James, and Gavin. Although come to think of it, I wish I really did own some of the characters, but you've got another thing coming if you think I'll tell you who. ;-P  
  
After school, Teri walked along the river with Mr. Burke (he insisted she call him Alex, but it was too weird addressing somebody that old with anything resembling familiarity). It had been nearly an hour since school had ended, yet neither one of them had said a word beyond a few minor pleasantries when they met up. She had caught him trying to get into her mind a few times; his signature was as faint as could be, but nevertheless it was still there. She had thrown him out quite violently, and the alarm he must have felt when she did was palpable. He was supposed to be really strong, so Lord knew what her anger was doing to her mind. Probably turning it into a supernatural pulsar of sorts. Which might attract lots of. demon people with long sharp fangs who would from this moment on constantly be trying to kill her. Not that most of them probably wouldn't wet themselves (figuratively speaking) when they got close. She had seen the way Mr. Karras had gone an odd shade of gray when she walked in the room, and James had taken one look at her during homeroom and positively scampered. Still, Teri shuddered at the thought of a bunch of black eyed, pale skinned vampires ambushing them in the crowded park. Mr. Burke was apparently thinking the same thing. She resolved to somehow spit it out if he asked her anything. He didn't.  
  
After thirty minutes he still hadn't said a word. He seemed to be waiting for her to say something, but there was no way she would give it up without some sort of invitation to do so. Did he know this? Was he deriving some sick pleasure from the emotional hell she was going through? Whatever he was thinking, he wasn't making it any easier for her. Then he coughed, and she had her excuse. Teri seized the opportunity with all the glee of a little child grabbing at a piece of candy. Or more accurately, a small child hell bent on wreaking havoc on the neighborhood aided by the mother of all sugar highs.  
  
"WHY is this happening to me? It's not like I asked for it. It should be something they, I dunno, maybe interview you for the position? Like, 'Hey, would you happen to be interested in killing the undead? You heal super fast, control fire, and as an added bonus you're completely unable to die of natural causes. Nope, no quiet, peaceful goodbye. Instead, you're guaranteed to die while in a good deal of pain after fighting some undead creature to the death.' Do you really think I want this? I don't think so buddy! So don't expect me to not realize what you're telling me, because I understand it perfectly well." Teri felt light headed. It had taken a lot out of her just to say that, but it had been worth it. She could almost feel the tension subside. Mr. Burke looked pleased, the scumbag.  
  
"It's nice to see that you're getting past the apocalyptic fury stage, Teri." He was grinning! That evil, evil man actually had the nerve to grin. Teri made a very rude gesture at him. "Perhaps I was mistaken."  
  
"Oh no, I'm past that all right." He had the good grace to look surprised. "Yep, all the horsemen are rounded up and everything. Now I just need to get rid of the desire to impale you with something, preferably something very blunt. Not that I really want to, of course. Get rid of the thought, I mean, not the actual carrying out of the whole operation part." She waited for him to respond.  
  
"I think this would be a good time to teach you how to control your aura."  
  
"Excuse me?" Her jaw was on the floor, but she managed to pick it back up quickly enough. "Whatever happened to, 'Now, now, Teri dear. You don't really mean that.' Or maybe a little sarcasm, or perhaps some snide comments; you have a real talent for those, you know. Maybe you could even add in a little eyebrow elevation as a bonus? But no, you need to completely change the subject. Trying to run from the truth are we, Mr. Immortal Witchy Guy?"  
  
"Turn around and tell me what you see."  
  
"Eh? Please, the confusion is overpowering."  
  
"Just do it, he'll probably snap out of it any moment." That piqued her curiosity, and Teri looked behind her.  
  
There was somebody not a few yards behind them. A very pale somebody with very dark eyes. But he wasn't moving. He seemed to be frozen in what looked like the middle of a lunge, and his expression of surprise laced with terror was priceless.  
  
"You seem to have given your would-be assassin quite a shock." There was a bit of something resembling pride in Alexander's voice as he said this.  
  
"Wait a sec, you mean to say that this guy was after me? And what d'you mean, me giving him a shock?" Teri didn't know what to think. Why was this vampire, somebody who pretty much occupied the top spot on the food chain, staring in her direction like he was going to run away and start retching in a dark alleyway somewhere? Something weird was definitely going on. This beat the telepathy out by a long shot.  
  
Then the vampire regained control of his body. Not that it did much. He stood up, but his eyes were as wide as when he had been frozen. "What the hell are you," he managed to choke out before blinking out of existence. It was oddly satisfying to watch him go.  
  
"I doubt you would ever be able to replicate that little shock wave you just produced without the emotional backing you had at the time, but I am betting you're interested in being able to control that type of reaction." He sounded oddly hopeful.  
  
"First you tell me how you deal with it, and then we'll talk about training."  
  
"Deal with what?"  
  
"Immortality. What keeps you from ending it all, you know, just falling on the knife or whatever poetic terms you could use for suicide?" Teri wasn't just asking out of curiosity. That morning she had woken up before everybody else in the apartment and slit one of her wrists. It had healed in half a minute, maybe less. Half of her depression that day had been coming not from the desire to kill herself, but from the knowledge that it would be hard to do without somebody to help her along. If she could figure out how Mr. Burke worked through it, then she might be able to try.  
  
"What makes you think I don't want to?" Came the curt reply from beside her. Teri looked up at the man standing next to her and saw that his usually smirking face was a mask of sorrow. She had been expecting him to say something about divine duty, maybe even to act a bit patronizing. The last thing she had expected was for this confident man, a person for whom she was already developing a profound attachment, to be so devoid of hope. Alexander walked toward a bench facing the river and sat down. Teri followed suit.  
  
"For the first few years of my training, I was enthusiastic. Desdra, she was my mentor, was more than pleased. When I was strong enough, she took me hunting in the surrounding area. Mostly the vampires there were weak, but some were beyond my grasp physically. Still was nothing compared to my telepathic power. I refused to think about my immortality, because I knew that trusting in my body's ability to heal would weaken me as a fighter.  
  
"After a while I began to gather something of a reputation among the vampires in the area. They thought I had to be punished for being so adept at what I did. Instead of attacking me directly, they decided to prey upon one of my family. And so it came to pass that I returned early from hunting one night to see Ather bent over the limp form of my sister Lynette. I think that was one of the only times that I have ever truly lost my temper. I attacked Ather, but the blade did not hit home and she willed herself away. My sister was alive, so I thought nothing of it. And then Ather came to call, this time bringing Aubrey along. You've read about him, he's probably one of her strongest fledglings, and one of the most disarmingly handsome men in the vampiric world.  
  
"I saw them standing in the doorway and instantly knew what they wanted. They had come for Rachael, but not to kill her, at least not in the sense of finality. They would turn the sister into one of their own, hurting the hunter in a way that nothing else could." Teri didn't know what to say. She had read the story, true. But there was so much raw emotion involved which she hadn't been able to grasp until then. Not knowing what else to do, she held her mentor's hand and gave it a tiny squeeze, just to let him know that she was there. He looked down at her gratefully, and she could see the hint of a tear in his eyes. "If you don't want to go on-" she began, but he cut her off.  
  
"No, I want to tell you this. I think it'll be good for both of us." Teri nodded in assent, and Alexander continued.  
  
"Rachael and I were twins, and close didn't even begin to describe our relationship. She was the only one who knew I could hear people's thoughts. When Lynette was burned, she was the one I confided my fears to. I trusted her that much. Anybody else would probably have turned me in to the minister and had me burned or thrown into the water, but not Rachael. We did everything together, although we had been recently been forced to separate a bit in order to go about our traditional duties. Still, she was the only person had I ever felt any real connection to.  
  
"Aubrey was the perfect gentleman, behaving just as he ought to if he was courting my sister. In a way he was, but for a marriage more binding than a pact with a man before God. No, my sister was to be betrothed to Death, the contract to be sealed with the blood of the damned. Aubrey used all his charm, and Rachael was enchanted. As a parting gift of sorts he gave her a rose. A black rose, the stem all but covered with thorns. He tossed it to her, and she cut herself as she caught it. From that moment her fate was sealed. I could only watch, knowing full well that I might never see my sister again.  
  
"For some foolish reason I thought I could protect her. For days I stood watch over her as she worked, hoping that I would be able to stop the attack when it came. I didn't have a prayer. The moment my back was turned, they struck. I heard her cry out and I knew that it was the end. Nevertheless I attacked both Aubrey and Ather at once, lashing out with my mind and my knife. They were faster though, and had thousands of years worth o fighting experience between them. I had only been hunting a few years, and they swatted me away like I was some kind of fly. I could only watch in excruciating pain as they dragged her over my limp, though healing, body. I heard her voice in my mind, painfully clear. *You killed my brother.* I would be able to shake off the injuries, but never those words."  
  
Alexander looked down at the girl who was now leaning against him, staring at a random point in the distance. "You asked me why I don't just end it all. The truth is that I've had a death wish ever since that day. Whenever I go into a fight, a small part of me hopes that this will be the last one, that this time I might finally be able to rest. But I've got a nasty streak of pride, and because of it I refuse to let myself be bested by one of the damned creatures if I know I can win. Unfortunately that seems to be most of the time." He chuckled, but it was hollow and conveyed an almost sickening sense of irony. "That's part of the reason why I teach high school. It certainly isn't the money, Lord knows I have enough of that stored away. It's because the students are about as old as my sister was when she was changed. They might not think it or want to believe it, but they really are full of innocence and idealism. They remind me of what I've lost, and why I'm still hunting. Sort of a check on my suicidal tendencies, you might say. Besides, Prozac would have no affect on me anyway." Teri tried to stifle a small giggle at the last statement. She failed. Looking up at her mentor, she smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Mr. Burke."  
  
"Why do you keep calling me that? You know, you are allowed to call me Alex, seeing as this isn't school. At least not in a formal sense."  
  
"Sorry, but it's kind of a learned behavior for me. I've been taught to show respect to people who have a few more years under their belt than I do, and let's face it, you're easily twenty times my age." Once again with the meek smile. *Great that just had to be said that out loud. Smooth girl, real smooth.*  
  
Alexander didn't mind the slip though. In fact he did something he hadn't done in a long while. He laughed. "What can I say? Sure I'm an old fart, but I've got half the female student body trailing behind me on a leash." He gave Teri a rakish wink, and the girl went a rather violent shade of magenta. This only served to send him into another fit of laughter. Teri couldn't stay embarrassed for long with Alex rolling around next to her in hysterics, and soon enough she too had succumbed to the contagious fit.  
  
"How about I show you how to move between places with your mind? It'll be getting dark in a few hours, and you do have homework to do." Teri grumbled at the teacher who was at the moment looking so innocent and yet had given them an essay to be handed in the next day. This only served to make Alex chuckle once again.  
  
"Sure, you stuck up old man."  
  
"Ah, but you must admit I am a cute old man, no?" Again with the wicked grin.  
  
"Well, are you gonna show me or not?" Teri was trying to keep herself from turning into a talking tomato once again, and it wasn't working.  
  
"Right, but you need to clear your mind when you first start attempting it. Just relax, and breathe slowly. Concentrate on every single breath. Tune out, and focus your energy on the image of a place nearby. Let's try the bridge for starters. Remember, focus on the image. Ready? Go."  
  
Teri closed her eyes and willed herself into the mental image of a familiar bridge. She smiled a deceptively innocent smile. When she opened them, she was on the top of the Brooklyn Bridge. She looked around and gave out something of a war whoop. "HEY EVERYBODY DOWN THERE! LOOKIE HERE!" Suddenly Alex was standing there next to her. He was livid.  
  
"Rule number one: NEVER, EVER do that again. Whenever we are practicing something like this, you must ALWAYS keep me informed of where you are going. I am NOT going to let you injure yourself because of some stupid stunt you decided to pull. This is too important for you to start acting cocky about it. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"  
  
"Yes." Suddenly Teri was feeling small. Very small. The death glare Mr. Burke. make that Alex was giving her had obviously taken decades of practice to perfect, it was that frightening.  
  
"Good. Now this time you will go to the Tribeca bridge by the quickest possible route. That means NO STOPS. Do I make myself clear." Teri nodded, or rather she managed to jerk her head in a gesture that signaled dome sort of confirmation. "Ready? Go." Teri took a deep breath and blinked out of existence. Alex followed a moment later.  
A/N: This was a very emotional chapter for me to write, as you can probably tell. It's going to get very interesting soon, so keep tuning in. So for now, cheers and thanks to all my lovely, wonderful reviewers. 


	4. Repetition

SUMMARY: Hello, my wonderful readers! This is a chapter for some of the vampires who will put in appearances throughout the story. It's their time to shine, so to speak. Includes the park incident from the assassin's point of view, as well as some other stuff, including something in the way of plot movement. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the newest chapter. And remember to yell at me if you hate it!  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own Falen (it's a hard "a", kinda like if you were saying crag), but that's it. The rest of the vampires are the property of people other than myself. Which is why I have to put this stupid thing here in the first place. Which is incredibly obvious. Which means I should stop typing now.  
  
A/N: I know the interval was a bit longer than normal between this and the last chapter, but there was this whole thing with me losing the random scrap of paper I had written part of it on, and going through the roof trying to look for it, and nearly slamming my fist through the keyboard after trying to reproduce it and failing miserably, and having too much other work to do, and FINALLY GETTING A NEW COMPUTER THAT DOESN'T CRASH EVERY HOUR! Ah, the dust trap that is my mind. Somebody mentally slap me if I don't remember where I've put any of the hard copies I write. during class. when I should be paying attention to the teacher. and I think I've said too much.  
  
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Falen was beyond pissed. He was out for blood. Had Aubrey been unfortunate enough to be near him at the moment, Falen would have flayed his skin and nearly drained him dry. Of course, somewhere deep down he knew it would accomplish little, but nevertheless it was still a tempting thought. Instead the vampire vented his anger on his prey, playing with his victims, not numbing the pain as he drained them of their life's blood. And each time he imagined that he was in fact killing the little brat who had made him miss his first kill in centuries.  
  
His bloodlust sated for the time being, Falen looked at his watch. It was 1 am, so Aubrey should be home. And Jessica probably wouldn't be there, which was a boon. She might have been changed only a few years back, but she was strong. And she hated his guts; something about sadistic tendencies. But Aubrey would still go to him if somebody needed to be gotten rid of. Unfortunately, this girl wasn't a job for an assassin with a scant few hundred years on the job. This was the kind of target for Theron, one of the most feared bloodsuckers on the planet. And all for a damned adolescent who probably didn't know the first thing about hand-to- hand combat. Falen swore to himself in a few languages and then willed himself to Aubrey's place in New Mayhem  
Aubrey was lounging on a couch in his New Mayhem residence when he heard somebody knocking on the door as though they were trying to break it down. *About time Falen got back. What the hell took him so long?* He lazily got up from his seat, stretching like some deadly wildcat. The pounding was growing more insistent, as though the knocker was currently in possession of a battering ram. "Hold on a sec you impatient wretch, I'm coming." He walked into the entrance hall and opened the door, expecting to see a cocky assassin demanding his fee. Instead he was greeted by a seething vampire who looked positively drunk on human blood. Definitely not a good sign.  
  
"Don't just stand there, come on in." The vampire jerked his head to signal in the affirmative. Aubrey led him through the house to then den which he had recently been occupying. It was a beautiful room, the ebony woodwork and black marble floors giving it a polished yet dark atmosphere. Much like its owner.  
  
"So, Falen. How'd it go?" Aubrey had already guessed what the answer would be, but wanted to make sure he wasn't getting ahead of himself.  
  
" 'How'd it go,' he asks me. How the hell d'ya THINK it went? I've seen witches before, even managed ta kill a few of 'em along the way. But this girl, I swear, if I was still capable of pissin' myself, I'd've done it a few times over. I'm lookin' for her, tryin' to pick up on some sorta aura, and I get this feeling like somebody just rammed a poker in my guts. Now I'm thinkin' nothin' of it, her being with Alexander at the time and all. Sure she might have a bit o' power in 'er, but there ain't no way that's all comin' from her. So I follow it, I know I'm getting' closer, and then I see Alexander with this little slip of a girl, maybe goes up to his shoulder, and I can barely believe what I'm seein'. This little kid is goin' off like a firework. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. So I figure I should get rida her quick, like, and I get pretty close too. Then just as I'm about to lunge at the little bitch, Alexander coughs. I'm thinkin' this is my big chance, I've got a distraction an' everything, and then outa nowhere the kid goes off like a damned A-bomb. I couldn't move, though hell knows I tried. After that little trick I didn't' wanna stay near that witch any more'n I had to. 'Bout half a minute later it starts to wear off, and then he says somethin' and she goes off again. I thought I was gonna have a heart attack and, technically speaking, I'm DEAD. Alexander says somethin' to her, and she turns around, and she's lookin' at me like I'm some kinda crazy, and I must have this idiotic scared kid look on my face, and she looks like she's thinkin' something along the lines of 'How the hell did I DO that,' and once again it starts to wear off. I didn't even think to try for her one more time, I just split. And now I'm here." The vampire shuddered as though clearly wishing to forget the incident. "Not exactly how we planned, is it?"  
  
"I suppose I must have underestimated her abilities, Falen." Aubrey stuck to his usual, bored drawl. He didn't want to give away the slightest hint of the uncertainty he was feeling. Falen snorted. "You really must forgive me, how was I supposed to know she could be so powerful? Karras told me she was strong, but not so strong that she could flatten you with single burst of her power. Unless of course, you weren't up to the task to begin with." The disgruntled vampire growled, itching to get at his employer's throat. Aubrey laughed inwardly, it was so easy to provoke Falen, and amusing as well.  
  
He pondered the case of Teri Mere. There was something familiar about the story, but he couldn't quite place it. If the reports were true, if the girl was really as strong as his scouts had said she was, then the vampiric world would be faced with one of the strongest Triste witches ever to walk the Earth. But only if she lived to hone her abilities. The vampiric community would need to kill the girl fast if they wanted to feel safe in their beds.  
  
"Listen, Aubrey. The only way you'll be able to get at this girl is with somebody like Theron, I'm not nearly strong enough to take this one on."  
  
"I didn't think I'd ever hear those words coming from you, of all people."  
  
"Don't get used to it, it's just that she needs to be gotten rid of, and soon. She's being taught by Alexander, and that'll only serve to focus her power."  
  
"I appreciate the help Falen. You did as well as you could be expected to."  
  
"Then remind me to kill myself the next time I willingly get into that kind of situation."  
  
"With pleasure." Falen threw a punch at Aubrey, but he missed and was thrown off balance. Aubrey laughed.  
  
"Pompous bastard," Falen grumbled. He willed himself away from the mocking vampire.  
  
Aubrey sat back down on the plush couch, thinking about his next move. He was still for a few minutes, then reached out with his mind to contact somebody he could trust to talk with about the situation.  
  
*Jessica, could you come home for a bit? I need to speak with you about something.*  
  
A few seconds later came the reply, *Hold on for a sec. I need to deal with something that just came up.* Aubrey chuckled, but couldn't help feeling a bit worried for her. Despite Jessica's strength, there were still human hunters who she would be hard pressed to defeat, and several of the Vida witches seemed to have something of a vendetta against her.  
  
True to her word, Jessica appeared in the house moments later. He could hear her walking through the door, her purposeful stride.  
  
"Aubrey, where are you?" She yelled from what seemed like the library.  
  
"In the den."  
  
A few minutes later she entered the room to find a very pensive vampire sitting on the couch. She knew too much of Aubrey's history and personality to see it as anything ordinary. In fact, it was downright disturbing to see the normally calm vampire so worried.  
  
"Okay, Aubrey, spit it out. What's wrong?" She flopped down on the plush couch beside him, giving him a quick kiss.  
  
"Always the eloquent one, aren't we?" Jessica crossed her arms and looked at him severely.  
  
"Yes, always. So, why the urgent call? You're never this worried, so I know something big's going on."  
  
Aubrey sighed, she knew him much too well. "Yes, there is something wrong, and it's not just my problem. You know of Alexander, Risika's brother. Well, he appears to have acquired an apprentice of sorts, one Teri Mere. She is a fourteen years old, and is possibly one of the most naturally powerful Tristes in existence. At first I wasn't so sure, but I sent Falen after her today. She paralyzed him with a single blow of her power." Jessica shuddered.  
  
"And I fit into this how? What do you want me to do, fight her?"  
  
"Because of her strength and the knowledge that we are already trying to do away with her, Alexander will most likely have stepped up Teri'' training considerably. If she hasn't been neutralized a month from now, she may become even more powerful than her mentor and have some rudimentary fighting skills to fall back on. I'll be going to New York to observe her, not that I expect to find anything much new. I need you to look into her history, see if you can dig anything up about how she got this powerful." Jessica gave Aubrey a little mock salute, before settling back against him.  
  
"What d'you want to do for the rest of the night? I wasn't exactly welcome at that bash Fala was hosting. Do you think she still holds a grudge?" The deceptively innocent look in her eyes made it impossible for Aubrey to keep from laughing at least a little. "I'm all partied out for the night, could we just stay home? Besides, the muses just started singing." Aubrey groaned as Jessica turned towards him, smiling mischievously. He had never been able to get used to that computer of hers, and probably never would. It was the only surefire way she had of getting to the normally imperturbable vampire.  
  
"Fine, write if you must, I need to feed. I should be back an hour before dawn." He willed himself away from the house, which caused Jessica to fall off the couch from her previous position of leaning on him. She murmured a few curses at the cocky, self assured vampire and walked into the library. The books were fascinating, a collection of most, if not all of the literature which had ever been written on vampires. Jessica pulled her laptop from one of the shelves and turned it on. She started to open an unfinished piece, but instead began a fresh document. *Well Siete, what other stories do you have in that twisted head?* She tentatively tapped out the first few lines, only to delete them all moments later. Starting over, she tried to let the story simply flow through her, and it did.  
  
Jessica worked well into the night, only noticing the passage of time when she heard the door open. Aubrey had come back, so she had to have been working for several hours. Loud footsteps echoed through the hall as he walked toward the library, where he knew Jessica would be. Suddenly, she felt somebody breathing down the back of her neck. She shivered. "What exactly do you think you're doing?"  
  
"Trying to make sure that you're still responsive," came Aubrey's voice from behind her. She turned around to see a thoroughly refreshed vampire with an odd twinkle in his eye. "Have you been going at it since I left?"  
  
"Yep, and I was just about to get to a point where I could conceivably break off when you showed up."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that." He clearly wasn't. "What have you been working on, exactly?"  
  
"It's about a Triste, which is kind of interesting, considering the situation at hand. It's set back in the twelfth century in England, and you look like you just saw a ghost pop out of the ceiling and float upside down around the room." Aubrey's mouth was uncharacteristically open, a look of amazement and fear on his face.  
  
"I'm going to see Jager when the sun goes down." The words had no intonation at all.  
  
"Aubrey, what's going on?" Jessica was concerned, she had never seen him look so afraid, so vulnerable. *This can NOT be good. Oh yeah, understatement of the century.*  
  
"What happened in the story?"  
  
"Well, Michael is a serf, and therefore has no power at all. He's ten years old, but he tries to make a break for the nearest town. He's walking through the woods, and comes across a clearing filled with robed people. He then remembers that it is All Hallows Eve, and witches are abroad that night. He turns to run, but one of the robed people sees him. He finds that he cannot move, and is being pulled towards them. Somebody says something about his age, about how he's still too young. He hears them speaking, but not through his ears. He becomes frightened, but still finds himself unable to move.  
  
"One of them grasps his arm and a mark appears on the skin, but it soon fades. He panics and runs then; somehow he managed to break free of the spell binding him to the ground. Either that, or they simply let him go. Neither option was pleasant to think about. When he gets home, his parents are up waiting. His father attempts to beat him, but Michael keeps tells him to stop, and he does. Just stands there like a statue. Like his son was held in place only a short time before by those witches. Only they were older, and. oh shit."  
  
"I suppose you could have found a nicer way to say that but yes, that would be the first part of the story. And now I need to know if she has had ANY contact with a group of Tristes early in her life. Jager will know more about this, he was there when it happened."  
  
"Isn't it funny how history repeats itself?"  
  
"Jessica, you should be praying to whatever gods still listen to the damned that history is not repeating itself."  
  
"I need to go somewhere with an internet connection if I want to look into it further."  
  
"Then go. I'm sure there's a library somewhere with one of those."  
  
"How about New York? I could look for the girl too." Aubrey suddenly looked very grim.  
  
"I will NOT lose you because you felt you could handle something you were unable to do."  
  
"Excuse me? What makes you so sure that I'll go after her?"  
  
"Because like it or not Jessica, I know you. In fact I know much more about you than I have ever cared to find out about any one person. So please, be angry at me if you want. After all, I only fear for your safety every time you go out to feed." He began to pace about the room, his agitation clear in every step. "I can't tell you how many times I've woken up, noticed you were no longer by my side, and become frantic until finding a hastily scratched note on the table. This kind of emotion may seem strange coming from me, damned bloodsucker that I am, but I actually do love you. And I will NOT let you get hurt."  
  
Aubrey stopped and turned to face Jessica, who had been rooted to her seat throughout the brief yet poignant monologue. The pleading look in his eyes was too much for her to bear. She stood up and hurriedly walked over to the vampire, normally so calm, who had bared to her what remained of his soul. She put her arms around him, not knowing what else to do. He returned the embrace, making Jessica feel as though she would melt. She vaguely registered the fact that he was squeezing hard enough to snap her nearly in half, but it didn't matter. She had wanted to hear those words for so long, but hadn't realized how badly she needed to hear them until then.  
  
For a moment they forgot everything else, neither one wanted to let the other go. After a minute which seemed like forever, Jessica spoke up.  
  
"You know, I'm not sure that the two halves of my body will be able to knit together."  
  
Aubrey looked down at the vampiress in his arms. She was so maddeningly, irreversibly infuriating sometimes. Could he help it if he had a weakness for her? No, he most certainly could not, and he didn't intend to anytime in the near future. Or in the far off future, for that matter.  
  
"Must you ruin a perfectly wonderful moment? I finally tell you how I've felt about you all these years, and all you can think about is self preservation?" The old cocky glint was back in his eye. *Nope, definitely not getting any more writing done today.*  
  
"Well, yes. After all, where would you be without me?"  
  
"Please spare me your sarcasm, Jessica. I don't have the time for it."  
  
"I know not this sarcasm of which you speak."  
  
"Must you always try to provoke me?"  
  
"Why do you always think I deliberately provoke you?"  
  
"Because it always works, and I refuse to believe that's an accident." Aubrey met Jessica's eyes with his own, before leaning down to kiss her. It was soft at first, tender as could be. Briefly she speculated that he must have had a lot of practice over the millennia, but banished the thought from her mind as the kiss increased in intensity, and she was completely lost.  
  
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A/N: The plot thickens. hehehe! Sorry about the fluff, but I couldn't resist. Once again, my apologies for this being late and all, but I do have other stuff to do, you know. And thanks so very, VERY much for all the support. 


	5. Why not just let them get me?

A/N: The next installment is UP! For some strange reason I feel like I should be begging for forgiveness for holding you in suspense for so long, but that would just be ridiculous, seeing as I've been working on snippets of some upcoming chappies and falling in and out of plot limbo. Anyway, people might take issue with seeing me groveling before a computer screen. So please enjoy to the best of your abilities. And as always, please review to a) tell me what you think, b) pet my ego, c) ask me stuff, or d) make me cry like a baby. Or else. Cheers.  
  
DISCLAIMER: No, Linwe, I am not Amelia. I just borrow her stuff, fiddle around with it, and run from the lawyers. ::Looks around and laughs nervously::  
  
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*Will hurt Mr. Burke. Will hurt very, VERY badly.*  
  
A faintly sadistic grin passed over Teri's otherwise dead face as she walked through the doors of her new high school . After a brief but productive lesson in what could only be called teleportation, she had come home drained. Upon her return, she had wanted nothing more than to pass out on her bed. Or the couch, if she was unable to get to her room before fatigue overcame her. But no, she had to write that stupid essay for an English teacher who seemed to enjoy torturing her.  
  
Thinking of pleasant ways in which she could harm her instructor bodily, Teri walked up the stairs to her locker. Her sadistic good mood crumbled instantly at the sight of the person standing by the half-deserted area where her locker was located: James Rice, resident vampire and scumbag extrordinaire. This was the eighth floor, and he was a senior; there was no way he was just passing through.  
  
"Ah, Teri. Just the girl I was looking for." He smiled at her, although she couldn't help but notice the malice in his eyes. It was unnerving, but she refused to let herself show the fear that was slowly turning her spine into a long, thin icicle. Instead of responding verbally, she used a little trick that Alex had taught her the night before. Concentrating on the energy she was becoming more and more aware of, Teri let her aura flare. It wasn't a lot, just enough to make him think twice about attacking her. It worked pretty well, as evidenced by the look of barely concealed shock which James now had plastered on his face.  
  
"Was there something you wanted to discuss, James?" She sounded innocent. Much too innocent. James looked as though he was considering bullshitting her for a moment, but decided against it.  
  
"Who are you and why are you here?" Teri wasn't sure if the question should worry her. *At least he got to the point.*  
  
"I am an ordinary," James snorted, "fourteen year old girl who happens to be some sort of superhuman immortal. You on the other hand are one of two things, judging by your aura. Either you were only recently changed and have little experience, or you're just WEAK." It was plain from the hatred now apparent in his eyes that she had gone a bit too far. *Note to self: insulting strength of vampires bad for health.*  
  
With the grace of a predator James walked over to Teri, grabbed her around the throat, and slammed her against the wall. For one agonizing moment, she felt her skull crack. Red spots danced in front of her eyes, although she managed to make out a satisfied smirk on James' face. Teri was contemplating what passing administrators would think of the situation, or tried to. She still felt like there was a jackhammer inside her head, but the pain was dulling rapidly. Too rapidly.  
  
Her vision slowly cleared, and Teri soon found she was able to form coherent thoughts without getting them pushed aside by the construction crews. "Well, that was certainly uncalled for."  
  
"I think not, my dear and hopefully soon departed friend. This is only a taste of what I can do. You would do well to fear me." Teri was beginning to assume that convincing death glares came with the immortality package; James and Alex had certainly developed stares to freeze the marrow.  
  
Teri smirked. "Bite me. Oh wait, I forgot. You can't." James snarled and threw her against the wall. After making sure that she would need to heal at least one broken limb, he stalked off.  
  
Teri groaned as her body healed itself. "Definitely need to see Alex about those self defense lessons."  
  
(--------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------)  
  
Teri waited on a bench in the park for Alex. She had talked to him about the self defense training, and he had agreed to at least teach her some basics before the day was out. She wasn't exactly in the best of shape, though. How she would be able to fend off any would be attackers would present something of a problem.  
  
"Good, you're here," came a voice in her ear.  
  
"GYAAAH!" Teri nearly jumped out of her skin. Turning around, she saw Alex standing behind the bench, hands in his pockets.  
  
"I'm surprised, Teri. I would have thought you'd be more alert." He affected an innocent expression, but his eyes were twinkling.  
  
"Holy. NEVER do that to me again." Pausing for a moment to collect the scattered remains of her wits, Teri tried to glare at her mentor as convincingly as she could.  
  
"I should never be able to. You need to be constantly aware of your surroundings. Never forget that from now on, you are a hunter." He walked around to the front of the bench and sat down beside her.  
  
"Except this prey bites back."  
  
"Not in our case. Once they know you're a Triste, they'll do their damndest to kill you."  
  
"Was that supposed to cheer me up?"  
  
"Hardly. It was supposed to impress upon you the danger of your situation. Now, are we going to try training you a bit or not?"  
  
"Yeah, I don't really think I want to go through that whole powerless thing again." The bones had healed in less than a minute, but it had been painful all the same.  
  
"Good. I'm going to send you an image. Go there when you're ready."  
  
Almost at once, Teri found a picture of a gym in her mind. Concentrating on the image, she closed her eyes and willed herself into the scene. A second later she opened her eyes and found that she was in the room. The walls were mirrored, except for one which was occupied by a case holding a vast array of knives, daggers, swords, and whips. She briefly noted the weights, but the weapons fascinated her.  
  
"Not until you can fight without them." Always the voice of reason, Alex had come up behind her once again. Teri turned to face him and was about to start venting, but was cut off with a look. "Before we begin, you will change into something more comfortable. There are locker rooms through the door on the right, there should be some spare things there."  
  
"Aye, cap'n." Teri did a little mock salute and goose-stepped over to the locker room, pausing to glance wistfully at the sharp objects she would eventually be allowed to use. The locker room was nice, complete with a sauna and everything. As for the "spare things", they turned out to be freshly laundered. Tying her shoulder length brown hair in a crude bun, Teri exited the room. She heard somebody shout, "Catch," and was knocked over by something very, very heavy before she had time to turn around.  
  
"Don't tell me you couldn't lift that." Alex sounded, if anything, disappointed.  
  
"How the hell much did that thing weigh?" Teri was in agony from being told to catch what had felt to her like a ton of solid metal.  
  
"Only one hundred pounds."  
  
"Only? I've never been able to lift that much in my life." Her incredulous tone of voice wasn't having the desired effect. Instead of softening, Alex's expression grew exasperated. "What? It's the truth, I swear!"  
  
"Do you really think any hunter would have much of a chance in a prolonged fight with a vampire if they didn't have at least a fraction of their strength?"  
  
"What was it you told me about that? Ah, yes, 'Either the vampire is killed at the outset, or the human dies.'"  
  
"Teri, technically speaking, we're not."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Do humans live until mortally wounded? Is mortal blood poisonous to vampires? You may look and act human, but the fact of the matter is that you aren't." Alexander was annoyed, and didn't bother to watch the tone of his voice. He sounded impatient, as though it should have been obvious. Only as the last word passed his lips did he realize his mistake. Teri had turned from a dignified, audacious teenager into a frightened child. The older Triste mentally chastised himself. *Alexander, you idiot. Did you have to bring that up again? She was unstable yesterday, God only knows how she'll react to this.*  
  
Teri was trying to keep her expression calm. Unfortunately, her lower lip seemed to have a mind of its own and was trembling uncontrollably, for all that she was beginning to taste blood from biting on it. She sank to the floor, hugging her legs to her chest. *I'm not going to lose it. There is NO way I'm going to break down. D'you hear me, brain? NO WAY.*  
  
"Teri, I -"  
  
"You WHAT?" She snapped. A hint of a tear appeared at the corner of her eyes. *DAMN, I'm losing it.* "I've been trying not to think to much about it. I don't know why I'm even doing this, really. I mean, I've got all these demons chasing after me, and sometimes I." She trailed off, unable to get the words out. Alexander sat down beside the rapidly collapsing girl, putting an arm around her shoulder.  
  
"It's okay, just let it out."  
  
Teri threw her arms around her mentor's neck and began to sob against his chest. Alexander felt slightly awkward; he had never been in this position before, comforting somebody who felt so scared and confused, so helplessly alone. The three centuries of blood that was his life had left little time to care about anyone. The only person he had ever felt a real connection to was long since dead. Or undead as the case would have it. Alexander began to feel almost paternal toward the girl.  
  
Teri was beginning to calm down, although her breathing was still ragged. "I've just been thinking. why not just let them get me?" Alexander suppressed a shudder at the thought. "I don't want to die. not now. But if the price of life is eternal fighting. to lose everybody I'm close to. I don't know if I can go through with it." She regained some of her composure and looked her mentor square in the eye. "I'm still not sure if I want to do this; I've got too many doubts. But I can't get out of it, so I guess I'll just have to make do, right?" She smiled feebly, before breaking down once again.  
  
Alexander gathered the sobbing girl in his arms. She was so fragile - sometimes it seemed possible to shatter her with a touch of the hand. Maybe that was why she had become so good at blocking people out. Still, there was something wonderful in her, and Alexander considered himself lucky for having found it. It reminded him of Rachael before the two of them had been drawn into this world of the undead. But he wouldn't let this girl be corrupted or abused by anybody or anything, not if he could help it.  
  
"Welcome to life as an almost immortal, Teri. It's not easy, but I'll try to be there for you for as long as I can." She looked up and smiled at him. It was the first time he had ever seen her really happy. He bent down, kissing her lightly on the forehead. Teri snuggled against him.  
  
"Thanks. For everything." Her voice was shaky, but Teri was finally calm. It was an immense relief. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "D'you happen to have any tissues?"  
  
"There should be some in the locker rooms."  
  
"Good, bring the whole box."  
  
Alexander got up and, chuckling, went of in search of the promised tissues. Teri felt better than she had in weeks. Finally, she had somebody to confide in. She had been nearly over the edge, but she was back. All thanks to somebody she had only just met a few days ago. A small smile found its way to her lips as she though of what the next few weeks would bring. She stood up and mentally dusted herself off. Yes, things would be much, much better.  
  
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A/N2: Sorry if it's short, but I had to cut this down. Otherwise it would take too long to finish. Will continue from where it left off. Soon. Be afraid. Be VERY afraid. 


	6. THEM

Chapter 6  
  
When Alexander returned to the training room, tissues in hand, he found Teri trying to lift the dumbbell he had casually thrown at her only minutes before. She also appeared to be muttering obscenities at it. Her face was a mask of determination, for all that the beet red coloring made her look so comical. Alexander squatted down beside the girl and gave her a patronizing look.  
  
"Teri, don't bother if you aren't going to do it right. Anyway, I doubt that it would respond very well to that sort of language even if it could understand English."  
  
Teri stopped and turned to face him. "Do you have the tissues?" she asked, apparently oblivious to his comments.  
  
"My, but we certainly have a one track mind, don't we?" Teri stuck her tongue out at him. "And so mature too. As I was saying, you aren't going to be able to lift that lifeless piece of metal if you insist on doing it the wrong way."  
  
Teri glared at him. "Fine, how do I get this stupid thing off the ground?"  
  
"You need to rely on more than your muscles. On their own, they can't do so much without being built up. You need to feed your energy into them if you want to lift something like that."  
  
"Okey-doke, Alex. I'll try." She drew a deep breath and, concentrating on her arms, attempted to lift the weight. Suddenly, she found herself standing straight up, the weight not bothering her a bit. Unfortunately, the shock of what she had just done caused Teri to momentarily lose control of her limbs and drop one hundred pounds of metal on her foot.  
  
"SHIT!"  
  
"Just remember not to drop it next time." Alexander couldn't help smirking, which only earned him a glare from Teri. She picked up the weight with an ease she had acquired only moments before, groaning as her foot started to heal, and threw it at him. He caught it with one hand, the smirk never leaving his face. "You know, I'm beginning to think you're in a violent mood right now."  
  
"Yep, that'd be about right."  
  
"You'll be wanting to learn how to deal with the creatures you'll be facing, then?"  
  
"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of hurting you, but yeah, sure."  
  
"Am I really that horrible to you?" He sounded shocked, but there was a hint of laughter in his voice.  
  
"Do you need to ask?"  
  
"No, I suppose not."  
  
Alexander then proceeded to give Teri her first lesson in hand-to-hand combat. Considering that she had never done anything remotely like it before, the lesson progressed very well. By the end, Teri was about ready to pass out.  
  
"By the way, where exactly is this place?"  
  
"You are currently in a training complex for novice vampire hunters in Brooklyn. A place where, I believe, your teacher has not been allowed for some time. He was probably hoping to have come at a time when I was not here. I suppose those plans have been spoiled?" The voice was sharp to the point of iciness. Teri turned around to see who it was that Alex was so obviously on less than friendly terms with. The woman had an air of determination and power about her, and the ice in her voice extended to her eyes as well. She was a witch, judging by the aura she was keeping firmly under control, but it wasn't the kind of aura Alex had. It was a bit more subtle.  
  
"Um, excuse me? Madame Ice Queen?"  
  
Alexander made a small squeaking sound, like he was trying desperately not to laugh but had only succeeded in channeling the sound through his nose. The witch cast a withering glance in the older Triste's direction before turning to face the younger. She looked annoyed, probably due to both the title and the girl who had bestowed it upon her.  
  
"Yes?" There was an edge in the woman's voice. It put Teri in mind of a sharpened meat cleaver. She kicked herself mentally. *Why do I always seem to piss off the people who could possibly KILL me? Not a good day for Teri and the friendliness to creepy people, is it?*  
  
"I was just wondering who you are and where you get off acting all rude and nasty on us. 'Cause it isn't really nice and he's," Teri jerked her head in Alexander's direction, "gotta be a helluva lot older than you and deserve at least some respect for that, even though he does tend to be a big jerk and act. well. a sixtieth of his age sometimes."  
  
Alexander was trying to keep himself steady on his feet. Unfortunately, the laughing fit he was trying to keep in was making him lightheaded. The woman looked at Teri with increasing distaste. "My name is Dominique Vida, and I am in charge of this place. If Alexander wasn't here to teach you, then I would have him thrown out."  
  
"Well, seeing as I AM trying to learn how best not to get my ass kicked by the undead, could we maybe drop by. I dunno. a lot so that I can get in a good bit of training? Unless you want me to get killed, which could happen easily enough." Teri looked up at the icy witch's face, giving her the best puppy eyes she could muster.  
  
Dominique Vida regarded the girl before her coolly, wondering how she would be able to stand in her presence a moment longer and not snap. The young Triste was of average height and build, nothing remarkable there. Her hair was a deep shade of brown, and the freckles on her face seemed to be almost competing for space. She had surprisingly long lashes, which framed.  
  
Dominique found herself staring into the girl's eyes. The green was flecked with gold and perfectly separated from the brown, and there was an almost shocking depth to them. They reminded her so much of. but it couldn't be, could it? This infuriating child?  
  
Teri was getting nervous. Moments before, an obviously powerful person had been sizing her up. Suddenly the Vida witch was looking at her like she was some sort of freak of nature. Not that she wasn't, but for a vampire hunter to regard anybody with surprise could hardly be good.  
  
"Y'know, it's kinda rude to stare at people and imitate a fish at the same time. Not that they aren't both bad on their own, but, well, would you mind much?" Dominique ignored the near-hysterical laughter coming from Alexander's direction and collected her wits.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name."  
  
"Maybe you shoulda asked before doing the stare thing. The name's Teri Mere, ma'am. I'd say it's a pleasure, but. well. I'm not so sure." Dominique wanted to slap the girl for being so insolent, but thought better of it. She needed to be sure of this.  
  
"And how old are you?"  
  
"My but we're heavy with the questions, aren't we? I'll be fifteen in May."  
  
*So this is the girl. She should do well. If only she wasn't so damned impertinent.* Dominique had gotten over her initial shock at seeing Teri and was now contemplating how to most effectively use what would prove to be a very powerful weapon. The one drawback was Alexander. If Teri decided to follow in her mentor's footsteps, she would end up as a lone wolf, possibly an exile. The girl was what she was because the community as a whole needed her. She could not be allowed to harbor any resentment toward the well oiled machine which the battle worn Vida witch had created.  
  
Teri didn't like the way Dominique was looking at her. The look on the older woman's face had gone from flabbergasted to calculating in no time flat. She was being sized up to the point where her future was being planned out, she could feel it. And it wasn't the kind of future that involved college, a good job, a nice husband, and 2.3 kids, with a dog and a house in Westchester. No, this was the kind of future that would extend well past the lifespan of mortal men and leave her bloodstained, glorious, and ultimately alone. It made her shiver, knowing that was the fate which might very well await her.  
  
As for Alexander, he was watching Teri face off with Dominique with rapt attention. He wasn't sure if either of them was aware, but there was something of a subconscious power struggle going on between the two witches. And what a sight it was. Dominique was cajoling the girl, tentatively getting a feel for her energy all the while she was attempting to draw the girl's power out. He wondered what was going on in her mind, but knew better than to eavesdrop. She was probably thinking of a way to draw Teri into the fold, away from him. Nothing personal, just trying to get a Triste into the mix of Macht and human hunters. Tristes were loners by nature, if not when they began their training then as those to whom they were close died off.  
  
Teri was stubborn and fiercely independent. Her aura was solidifying, occasionally lashing out at one of Dominique's probes but generally staying within a clearly defined shell. Dominique would have a hard time wining over that particular Triste. Alexander smiled at the thought.  
  
"So." Teri broke the silence, not liking the way things were going with Dominique. "Now that we're done with the introductions and staring and otherwise unpleasant stuff, can I go back to learning how to kick his. I mean vampire ass?" She flashed what she hoped was a disarming smile in Dominique's direction.  
  
"Certainly," came the curt reply from Dominique. "I will allow you to train here, but if you wish to use any other part of this facility you are to come without him." She jerked her head in Alexander's direction.  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
"Well, now that we've come to some sort of agreement, I'll let you go about your business. Good day." Dominique turned and walked out of the room, leaving Teri at the mercy of rationality, which had somehow found its way back into her head and was pummeling her subconscious into a bloody pulp for what it had just allowed her to do, namely mouthing off to what had to be one of the most powerful witches in the world.  
  
"Alex?" Teri looked over at her mentor, who was looking incredibly amused.  
  
"Yes, Teri?"  
  
"I just did that, didn't I?"  
  
"You did indeed."  
  
"I'm insane, aren't I?"  
  
"I never doubted it for a moment."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Well, it sounded like I should agree with you." Alex's eyes were twinkling. She hated when they twinkled. It made her feel stupid, with a hint of annoyance and embarrassment thrown in.  
  
"Anyway, change of subject. What did you do to make her hate you?"  
  
Alexander tensed. "Nothing that she would understand."  
  
"Meaning?"  
  
"You know what I'm talking about, Teri." It was barely a whisper, but the odd monotone gave his voice a haunting quality which sent a shiver down Teri's spine. She thought for a moment, and the answer was so obvious that she couldn't believe she had missed it.  
  
"It's because of your sister, isn't it?" Alexander nodded. "You tried to contact her, and when you did they exiled you."  
  
"She wanted to know why I didn't find her sooner, why I let her believe I was dead. The truth was that I had been trying for centuries, but whenever I got close I would be called away to look into something they said was important, but which any Triste with half a brain could do."  
  
"They being?"  
  
"Whichever Macht witches were running the sorry excuse for an organization which decided that it ought to have jurisdiction over Tristes as well. At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but decades of being called away just as I was about to find her made me snap out it. It got to the point where I was maybe a few miles away from her, and was called off again. That was when I lost it. I was furious that they felt they had the right to interfere with my personal business. I asked them what the hell they thought they were doing. They told me that I would be exiled if I was found trying to reach her. There were rules, and one of them prohibited friendly contact with vampires. They were adamant. It only got worse when Nikolas and Kristopher began to gather a following."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Two vampires from Kendra's line, identical twins, changed almost one hundred years after Rachael. They were incredibly vicious when they wanted to be, but more importantly they fought as a team. The leaders of every line seemed to agree that I would join Rachael if I ever found her. They were right, I would have done it in a heartbeat."  
  
Teri looked at him in shock. "But. together? What would that've been like for you? Her going out every night to kill humans, you to kill her kind?"  
  
Alexander shrugged. "I knew it would be a problem, but I couldn't just let her think I was dead, could I? It had been almost a century, she'd had that long to brood over whatever guilt she must have felt. I couldn't let her live like that, but they were forcing me to nonetheless.  
  
"I began living like a mortal, picking up odd jobs, all the while listening for news of Rachael. Eventually I heard something, and it chilled me to the bone. She had become powerful, incredibly so. And she was ruthless. My sister, once so innocent, was now a cold blooded killer. I was racked by doubt. Would it make any difference now if I found her? I was a Triste, she a vampire. There was so much bad blood between our kinds, and she was becoming one of them more than I'd ever thought she could. That was when I began to lose hope." Alexander sighed.  
  
"The years went by, one century stretched to two, two to three. I had been more discreet since they had warned me against trying to contact her, and the process became agonizingly slow. Finally, around ten years ago, I found her. It was a sweet victory, but I had to be very careful. The slightest slip and I would be exiled.  
  
"I thought about how I could contact her, and the conclusion didn't please me in the least. I would have to be bitten, and hope the luckless wretch who did the deed would give her a message. It worked. Then I learned something shocking: that Mayhem had been rebuilt. I knew the risk of discovery was great, but I also knew that a vampire of Silver's line would use that town as a home base. So I went, concealing my aura as much as I possibly could. On that night witnessed her fight Aubrey and take his blood. After the fight, she saw me sitting at a table near the back of Las Noches and told me what I had been dreading all along: that she was one of them.  
  
"I've made quite few enemies over the years. I was never sure who it was, but one of them must have somehow told a witch about the blond man who looked so much like Rachael who had been seen talking to her, making sure not to let the scene of the event slip. The information made it's way up the chain of command, and after standing trial I was exiled. I've lived apart from the rest of my kind ever since."  
  
"But you were just trying to find your sister. Didn't they think about that?"  
  
"But I also withheld crucial information from them."  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"That Mayhem had been rebuilt. The council had believed it to be gone for centuries, and the fact that I knew and had not told them made me, in their eyes, an accomplice to the countless murders perpetrated by Sliver's line since the very day I had known. It was enough to work in a conviction."  
  
Alexander turned to the young Triste who was looking at him with pitying eyes. "As for Dominique, seeing me reminds her of her daughter Sarah. She was changed a little while ago by Kristopher."  
  
"What?! How'd something like that happen?"  
  
"From what I've been able to pick up, she was in love with him and the feeling was mutual." Teri's jaw dropped. "He'd given up life as a vampiric pop culture icon to help his older sister, who was also a vampire, decades before. I'm not sure about the details, but I do know that there was a run in with Nikolas. Kristopher lost control and tried to blood bond her, but witches can't be blood bonded. Their bodies fight with the vampiric blood in their system, and they die. He changed her to let her live, and she didn't kill herself. It broke Dominique's heart. She hates me because my exile reminds her of her daughter."  
  
They stood awhile in silence, one not wanting to say more, the other trying to process everything she had heard. Finally, Teri spoke up.  
  
"It's getting late, I think I should be going home now."  
  
Alexander was sharply pulled from his reverie. Looking at the clock, he realized that it was almost six. He swore under his breath. "I'm sorry, I lost track of time. Can you get home alright?"  
  
"I'll be fine." She turned to go to the locker room, but hesitated. Instead, she walked over to where Alexander was standing and gave him a hug. Looking up at him, she whispered something in his ear and released him from the almost childish embrace.  
  
Alexander watched her leave the room and willed himself back to his home. He didn't go out hunting. Upon entering, he went into his bedroom, threw himself onto the bed, and cried himself to sleep.  
  
=====================================================================  
  
A/N: Next up: Aubrey and Jager discuss a potentially serious threat. 


End file.
